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If there is one thing that almost every nutritional expert seems to agree on it is that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Eating a healthy breakfast offers many benefits.  According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, children who eat breakfast have less trouble concentrating in the classroom and score higher on standardized tests.  Eating breakfast also helps decrease behavioral problems and increase focus.   For adults, eating a healthy breakfast decreases the likelihood that you will overeat during the rest of the day.  Research has shown that people who eat breakfast have a healthier nutritional profile than those who don’t.   The bottom line is that when it comes to taking small steps to safeguard your health, everyone should be betting on breakfast.

February is National Hot Breakfast Month and we can’t think of a better way to get each day off to a great start than with a hot, healthy breakfast featuring foods grown right here in Arizona.  Here are 3 tips to help your family start each day in the healthiest way.

1.     Start Earlier

There is no doubt that one of the hardest things about eating a healthy breakfast is finding enough time.  Mornings can be hectic as everyone in the house rushes around trying to get ready and get out the door on time.  Help ensure that everyone has time to slow down and eat right by starting your day a few minutes earlier.  It doesn’t take much time to make room for breakfast, even getting everyone up 10 minutes earlier can make it possible to pause long enough for some hot and healthy food.  If you are in a time crunch, try making Arizona Quiche the night before so all you need to do is warm it up or Overnight French Toast.

2.     Slow Down

At breakfast, and at other times throughout the day, we don’t eat, overeat, or eat the wrong thing because we don’t have time to stop, think, and make a healthy choice.  Taking time to taste the food we are eating makes it easier to eat less.  This also gives our brain time to communicate with our stomach so we know when we are full which helps keep us from overeating.  Help slowdown your morning by serving something delicious and nutritious like Zesty Papa Protein Scramble or German Apple Pancakes.

3.     Fill Your Plate

One of the best ways to make any breakfast healthier is to make sure at least half your plate is full of fruits and vegetables.  Arizonians are lucky because we have access to fresh, locally grown produce all year round which makes it even easier to fill our plates with everything from oranges and apples to sweet potatoes and spinach.  It is easy to increase the nutritional content of your breakfast by thinking outside the box about what kinds of fruits and vegetables are good in the morning.  Try making a smoothie with berries, yogurt, and kale.  Whip up a batch of Basil Butter Sweet Potato Patties and eat them instead of pancakes.

It doesn’t take big changes to get big benefits where breakfast is concerned.  The most important thing you can do to get your family off to a great start is make sure everyone is eating the most important meal of the day.

Related articles

• The Incredible, Edible Egg (fillyourplate.org)
• Everything is Better With Bacon (fillyourplate.org)
• 4 Tips to Help Eat Right in the New Year (fillyourplate.org)